“Vietnamese Products Invade China: Frozen Goods Gain Popularity, Overtaking Thai Market Share”

According to the Import-Export Department (under the Ministry of Industry and Trade), citing data from the General Administration of Customs of China, in the first half of 2024, China increased its imports of durian from Vietnam.

Specifically, China imported 833,670 tons of durian, worth nearly US$3.97 billion, up 5.8% in volume and 3.3% in value compared to the same period last year. The average import price of China reached US$4,760/ton, equivalent to nearly VND 119 million/ton, down 2.3% over the same period last year.

Thailand is the largest durian supplier to China. However, in the first six months, China imported 558,300 tons from Thailand, worth US$2.85 billion, down 7.1% in volume and 5.1% in value compared to the same period last year. The total import volume of China decreased from 76.21% in the first six months of 2023 to 66.97% in the same period this year.

While Thailand’s market share decreased, China increased its imports of this commodity from Vietnam. The import volume of China increased by 46.3% in volume and 33.3% in value compared to the same period last year, reaching nearly 273,540 tons, worth US$1.11 billion. Vietnam’s durian market share in China’s total imports increased from 23.73% to 32.81% in the past six months.

In 2023, Vietnam exported about 500,000 tons of fresh durian, earning US$2.3 billion, of which 90% was exported to China. The durian growing area was 154,000 hectares, with a yield of nearly 1.2 million tons, growing at a rate of 15% per year.

Along with importing fresh durian, China also imports frozen durian from Vietnam. On August 19, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development and the General Administration of Customs of China (GACC) signed a protocol on the export of frozen durian. According to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, frozen durian is considered a priority product with significant potential to contribute to agricultural export turnover.

Mr. Nguyen Thanh Binh, Chairman of Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association, said that the demand for frozen durian in China is huge. Frozen durian has mainly been exported to Thailand and some distant markets such as the US, Europe, etc., with a turnover of about hundreds of millions of dollars per year.

Compared to fresh durian, frozen durian has higher added value. The Vietnam Fruit and Vegetable Association expects that the export turnover of frozen durian can reach US$400-500 million right in 2024. When officially exported to this market, the export of frozen durian of Vietnam is expected to increase further in 2025.

To meet export requirements, Vietnam’s frozen durian packaging facilities must meet requirements related to food hygiene and safety, packaging processes, traceability, and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). In addition, there are some requirements for freezing capacity and cold storage preservation.

Besides durian, Vietnam also exports more than 10 other fruits and vegetables to China, including dragon fruit, longan, lychee, mango, watermelon, jackfruit, banana, mangosteen, sweet potato, and temporarily exports passion fruit and chili.